A final, brief note on stats before we begin. We want to quantify what each stat does and how it benefits you in combat RP. The list and definitions are listed below.

Strength: Strength is quite straight-forward. It's your raw physical power for combat purposes, and as such dictates how fast and how hard you can hit.

Agility: This is a character's mobility: their ability to evade incoming attacks and get the hell out of the way.

Æther: This is a character's inner power, their ability to channel energy and cast 'magical' type effects. Æther determines the power and Agility of things.

Defense: Perhaps better named described as durability, defense is an individual's ability to resist damage and various effects.

One's ability to AVOID damage is based on a myriad of factors which don't really have anything to do with Defense (mostly being a mix of roleplay, skills, and technical choices.) The chart below displays the general level of damage one takes based on the opponent's damage stat (that being Strength or Æther the vast vast majority of the time) compared to the recipient's defense.

Also keep in mind that even damage as weak as that against a Superior Defender can accumulate if one takes enough, especially if that damage can be delivered repeatedly to the same target zone.

Stamina: Your reserve of energy to maintain magic and make it through a fight. (Equal to half of your potential.)

Potential: This is the way to differentiate between your power and those of your enemies or allies. This is literally your day to day potential as a game character. (This is all Strength, Defense, Agility, and Æther all added together.)

Comparison Tiers

These tiers are used to give a general guideline of how your stat will interact with an opponent's stat in combat. Furthermore, they are quite valuable for technique design for effect-based techniques, and for designating what tiers of comparison create which effects.

STAT TIERS:

Equivalent (up to -14 or +14): The two parties are within 10 stat points of each other, and for practical purposes may as well be the same.

Advantage (From +15 to +39): The higher stat individual has an 'Advantage', with a decent edge over his adversary. Superior tactics and skillful technique usage are even more important to the underdog here. Facing this difference head-on is foolish, though there is a small chance of success.

Superiority (From +40 to +74): The higher individual has 'Superiority', with a large edge over his adversary. Superior Tactics and skillful Technique usage are crucial to the underdog here, who for practical purposes, is basically climbing a cliff. Facing this difference or higher head-on is virtually suicide.

Dominance (from +75 and up): The higher individual has 'Dominance', and in most cases will utterly destroy his opponent unless the underdog is able to exploit a major weakness in his opponent's abilities. To continue the climbing analogy, this is like climbing an inverted cliff (in which the climber is partly upside down.) Theoretically possible to overcome, but borderline impossible.

Note:Keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and not hard rules. The level of 'advantage' or 'superiority' will fluctuate depending where one is within their range. If you feel that someone has overstepped their bounds ask a veteran member to review it for you, and if they agree with you please request a moderator step in.

Try not to get too hung up on the specifics, and just use these tiers as a guide for your combat roleplaying.

STAT TIER COMPARISONS:

This chart gives an in-depth and advanced way to look at stats, skills, how they compare, and what they mean. This is not meant to limit creativity in combat, but instead to enhance it by putting everyone on the same page as far as understanding what the stats and skills mean. Any feeling of restriction by this information is entirely personal, and you’ll just need to get over it.

Common stat comparisons include: Strength vs. Strength, Strength vs. Æther, Æther vs Æther, Agility vs. Agility, Æther vs. Defense and Attack vs. Defense. Only the last will be given in detail. The rest should refer to the more general descriptions of the stat differences. This chart is just a guideline and you should not use it as a factual thing to pull RP in your favor. This chart will help justify your common sense; so use it wisely.

Attack (Strength or Æther) vs. Defense Chart

Dominant Attacker

(Attacking~stat is 75 or more points higher than target defense)

Delivers devastating blows with even glancing blows. Entirely possible to cleave the defender in half, bash their spine out of their body, or disentegrate them without a trace.

Superior Attacker

Attacking~stat is 40-74 points higher than target defense

Delivers punishing strikes. Any solid hit is likely to deliver the a similar level of damage as a Dominant Attacker's glancing blows, while the glancing blows of a Superior Attacker will still deliver heavy damage, cutting muscle from bone, breaking bones, and melting flesh.

Advantaged Attacker

Attacking~stat is 15-39 points higher than target defense

Has an easier time cutting through his opponent's defenses than normal, good hits will fairly easily break bones, tear muscles from bones, and melt flesh, quickly wearing the victim away.

Equivalent Combatants

Attacking~stat is within 14 points of the target defense

When a target's roughly as durable as their attacker's strength, they still suffer injuries and wounds, but to a lesser degree than the higher ranked differences, at a realistic rate, with energy tending to deal the equivalent of 3rd degree burns (of course characters can take more of a beating and keep going than real ones, so at this level is where somewhat lengthy fights start to crop up, depending on how techniques are used and the battle plans applied.)

Advantaged Defender

Attacking~stat is 15-39 points lower than target defense

When the defender has the advantage, the attacker can feel some 'resistance' to his blows. His blade seems to slow down while cutting through their flesh, there seems to be a 'cushion' before his hammer truly strikes home, and energy damage seems about equivalent to harsh 2nd degree burns. Cutting limbs or breaking bones becomes very difficult at this point, though still possible, especially at the weaker points (such as joints)

Superior Defender

Attacking~stat is 40-74 points lower than target defense

Attacks against a Superior Defender tend to have little effect. Some bruising from a blunt strike, shallow cuts from blades, the equivalent of 1st degree burns (like a bad sunburn)

Dominant Defender

Attacking~stat is 75 or more points lower than target defense

Attacks against a Dominant Defender are pretty much worthless. Little scratches scarcely more than a paper cut, and energy damage will feel no worse than leather seats on a hot day.

Agility vs. Agility

Dominant Attacker

........................Agility Stat is 75 or more points higher than opponent's Agility)

To you, the opponent seems to be standing still as you run circles around them. Tracking your movements is entirely impossible when moving at this Agility. To the opponent's eyes, it's as if you've disappeared. Indeed, the only thing that could save them would be skill in Potential Perception which would enable them to at least know where you are. NOTE: that this applies to your body when utilizing the Agility stat; if you attack an opponent you are no longer moving at top Agility (but instead at your attack Agility) and may thus be visible again. It does NOT apply to attacking an individual with your strength stat or your Æther stat.

Superior Attacker

Agility Stat is 40-74 points higher than opponent's Agility

You are a blur. You are able to move at such great Agility that your features and body are merely a smudge against the landscape of reality. Tracking your movements is all but impossible. Sure, they can probably see where you are, but precise movements are masked by this level of Agility.

Advantaged Attacker

Agility Stat is 15-39 points higher than opponent's

Following your movements is extremely difficult. You are not quite a blur, but you are moving quicker than your adversary is able to easily react to. Following your movements alone would take complete focus to accomplish.

Equivalent Combatants

Agility Stat is within 14 points of the opponent's Agility

When a target is roughly as fast as their opponent, they will find themselves easily able to track their adversary's movements. Their ability to act and react is based entirely upon skill and finesse as neither has an advantage over the other. One might find that, from time to time, the movements are quick enough to catch you off guard, but one who is undistracted will find themselves capable of following the movements. In other words, fighting someone with equivalent Agility is like fighting in real life without any supernatural benefits.

Advantaged Defender

Agility of opponent is 15-39 points lower than your Agility

Following your opponent's movements is incredibly easy. With a bit of logic and battle prowess, you can react at your leisure.

Superior Defender

Agility of Opponent is 40-74 points lower than your Agility

Why in the world are they moving so slowly? When your opponent is this much slower than you, it seems as if they are moving in slow motion. You could probably stand in the same place and simply shift your footing to avoid them.

Dominant Defender

Opponent's Agility is 75 or more points lower than your Agility

Are they moving at all? When an attack or individual is this much slower than you, you can analyze every aspect of its movements and predict precisely, what they will do. Using basic attacks against you proves to be rather futile as it requires little effort for you to avoid them entirely. Really, they should just give up...or change tactics.

*****

Stat LimitationsCertain limits exist to promote fairness and limit overspecialization, as well as to encourage writing growth. As such, a character of a given 'class' has a limit to their total Potential, and a limit to how high they can raise a base stat. (Keep in mind that this limit also applies to buff techniques. A base stat can’t be buffed above the class limit.)

BASE STAT CAPS: your different stats such as Strength, Agility, etc.100 MAX for any one stat in Non-Prestige characters; 300 MAX Potential150 MAX for any one stat in Prestige; 400 MAX Potential200 MAX for any one stat as a Ascended; 500 MAX Potential